(CNN) – You know you're in Vegas when victory at a caucus precinct comes in the form of a card draw.

On Saturday, Sen. Hillary Clinton won the caucus at Mojave High School in North Las Vegas when one of her supporters pulled out the queen of hearts - besting the 10 of spades for Obama.

Tom Komenda, a Clinton supporter, told CNN there was an even number of supporters for the two candidates - 48 each. But the caucus had five delegates, so they couldn't be split evenly.

How to break the tie? A good old fashioned card draw.

Komenda - who sent CNN the story via I-Report - said a sealed deck was unwrapped. But as the shuffling started, he was concerned that the shuffler might have been shuffling in a way that exposed the faces of the cards to some of the nervous onlookers.

"I said, 'Wait wait wait - if we have to do this idiotic thing with cards, we're going to shuffle them the way they're supposed to be shuffled,'" he told CNN, laughing. "Then they said, 'If you want to shuffle, come down here and shuffle. So I went down and shuffled!"

Komenda says an Obama supporter drew first, and up came the ten of spades. Next, a Clinton supporter drew, and a queen of hearts decided the tie-breaker in favor of Clinton. So the final delegate count was two delegates for Obama, and three for Clinton.

It all ended, he said, in "cheers from one side of the room, groans and boos from the other."

Those cheering ended up rewarding Komenda - he was chosen to be one of the delegates for Clinton.

soundoff(187 Responses)

esperanza

If blacks vote for blacks then blacks should not complain if whites vote for whites. This will bring back the issue of racism. Results in SC will trigger this. Too bad that this issue will surface because whites are still the majority in this country. I am still undecided but with what is going on I may vote for Hillary.

January 19, 2008 11:38 pm at 11:38 pm |

JohnS

While Obama might have more delegates, Hillary has more delegates overall.. by about 100!! IF you want to get technical, HIllary STILL comes out winning. It's about time people realize that while OBama speaks nice and preaches, he has no substance and he hasn't said anything about how he plans to implement the changes he proposes. His lack of experience makes him unelectable. I'll tell you what, OBama supporters: let's pick Obama for VP and let him get on-the-job training with Clinton, and I will vote for him in 8 years (after Hillary's 2 terms).

Who DID Hillary bribe to get about 100 delegates only after a few races? Please guide me to the URL, Mr/Ms. KNOW-ALL

January 19, 2008 11:39 pm at 11:39 pm |

JohnS

Hillary is leading in the Delagate votes by a HUGE margin to even encompass Edwards votes.

She has 220 to obamas 122 or something.

Its acutally embarassing that the candidate with 6% less vote wins MORE delegates. Its not democratic. Bill Clinton was obviously right.

In 2012, I would prefer it be a private vote so there is no peer pressure , and just award the delegates on a popular vote.

PLEASE GUIDE US TO THIS STATISTICS (i.e, URL) SO THAT WE CAN BE BETTER INFORMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 19, 2008 11:41 pm at 11:41 pm |

James Lucas Clemmons NC

I thought the polls showed Obama leading in Nevada. .. gee. ... I'm starting to love whoever is taking these polls. ... Looks like the American voters is not really speaking until its time to vote. ... how cool is that. Oprah and John Kerry. ... are you listening. .... the American voters will make up their mind on their own regardless of influence and polls.

January 19, 2008 11:45 pm at 11:45 pm |

Bethany, St. Louis MO

this is legal? Seriously?

January 19, 2008 11:45 pm at 11:45 pm |

What?

I don't want the media and posters on this board speaking for me. I live in SC, I am black and I will vote for Hillary.

Also, people are free to vote however they want, but why is it that people on here are always threatening to vote for a republican if Hillary or Obama wins – good and loyal democrats, please get over your anger and support whomever the democratic nominee is. This is not American Idol – it's our lives – republicans will continue to ruin everything (even McCain). I will never abandon my party.

PS: The person who stated that Hillary supporters are angry – wow, the pot calling the kettle black!!!!

January 19, 2008 11:48 pm at 11:48 pm |

DB

Hey Tom Davie,
Most of the delegates Hillary has did not go through the any voting, how is that fair at all? The super delegates should be completely removed, but this system has been in place for many years.

Remember that the primaries are not for you to choose who to run for President, but for your party to choose.

January 19, 2008 11:49 pm at 11:49 pm |

JohnS

There is a delegate scorecard on CNN's website, and a tutorial about how the delegate selection and nominee selection process works. Many delegates are already listed there, even though their primaries haven't happened yet. Clinton is ahead by quite a large margin. And South Carolina has only 2 delegates.

Queen of Hearts. I love it.

This writer is ill-informed. That information is a "probablity" calculator; do you understand what a "probablity calculator really is? How many races have you observed to date to come up with such high delegate counts? Indeed ignorance is bliss. We should send some of these voters to the Congo Basin in Africa!!!!

January 19, 2008 11:50 pm at 11:50 pm |

Mirta

Ridiculous that this was decided by a draw of the cards. To all of the Obama supporters who say "If she wins, I won't vote for her", if BHO wasn't running, who would you vote for? Edwards? IMHO, he is likely to be the VP.

January 19, 2008 11:52 pm at 11:52 pm |

Ray

Im Happy! Go Hillary!!!

Obama Cult members are just said that he lost.

January 19, 2008 11:55 pm at 11:55 pm |

shaun

When will you idiots get. Obama can't win. Not in this country at least. If african americans vote for him then the media will spin it and make it seem as if he got the vote because he's black. This will anger whites who have the majority in this county leading them to play the race card back. Tothe media will continue to have only black commentators talk about what obama's doing on the campaign trail which will further cement the notion that its blacks against whites, and clinton who started the race politics will sit back and collect dirty votes from a plan she and her cohorts conspired after they lost Iowa. It was team clintons stance from the very beginning to incorportate race into the campaign so that white voters would turn on obama and vote for her, and it was perfect because this country will always be racially divided. It only takes a pinky to tap the button causing an explosion, and she knew this. Now the race isn't about issues, but about race. Hillary destroyed her relationship with african americans because of her dirty politics, but that might be the best thing she could've done. She can conceed the black vote because she knows she'll have the white one. Obama was doing great going beyond gender and race in iowa, but when clinton got desperate she decided not only hurt her party, but the nation by promoting division to get the white house any way she could. Way to go hillary and why to go cnn for all of the honest, unbiased coverage.

January 19, 2008 11:59 pm at 11:59 pm |

Jane

Only in America can the election process be so ridiculous!

Caucuses, delegates, some get to vote at work while others have to take off work to caucus, some caucus in the evening, some in the middle of a day, Democrats and Republicans voting on different days in the same state, winning a state by 6% but getting fewer delegates, some states are winner take all, some states get all the attention, etc.

It is totally ridiculous that the parties themselves get to make the rules.
Something needs to be done about this.

January 20, 2008 12:02 am at 12:02 am |

jon

i just don`t know why bill is so desperate to go back to the white house,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i kknow he was a good president,,,,,,,,,but don`t he think amricans need a new face,in the white house not bush and clinton,,,,,,,,,,,,,maybe after that will be waiting for the daughter.lol

January 20, 2008 12:09 am at 12:09 am |

Jane

I am sick of people stating that they will vote Republican if Hillary wins. How is that helping you? There isn't a Republican willing to end the war, nor willing to help the middle class. Why are there so few Republican African Americans or Latinos? Because the Republicans are not inclusive! How will that help you?
Having a Republican president and a Democratic Congress hasn't worked, so how is voting for a Republican helping there?

If you don't like Hillary, and she turns out to be the nominee, then stay home and don't vote! Voting Republican and hoping that it won't be Romney is just plain stupid Roz!

January 20, 2008 12:10 am at 12:10 am |

Maris

For those who keep saying you won't vote for Hillary if she wins the Democratic nomination, know that the same can be said of Obama's nomination. Obviously, we'll move ahead without your divisive attitudes. CONGRATULATIONS HILLARY ON WINNING THE NEVADA CAUCAS!!!

January 20, 2008 12:21 am at 12:21 am |

SC for Hillary

All of you anti-Clinton people, stop making a fool of yourself, if Obama had the experience,and substance and was not just an empty suit, who deliver speeches that someone else write , he would not have any concerns, but any democrat running for president patrionize Ronald Reagan who is republican is in over his head. HILLARY ALL THE WAY TO THE WHITE HOUSE

January 20, 2008 12:24 am at 12:24 am |

Mich

It completely amazes me how much americans are crying out for change
but yet here they are voting in throngs for another dynasty of Clintons
More of the same .....
If democracy was meant to be this way you would still be voting for Abe Lincolns
ancestors
I have my doubts she can beat the republicans if she is nominated
however a Clinton Obama ticket either way is a winner against anyone!
Despite the negativity they should always keep in mind they are both democrats

January 20, 2008 12:28 am at 12:28 am |

Lilly

Stop trying to pull the "bIllary" argument. It is old and it is baseless.

January 20, 2008 12:38 am at 12:38 am |

Mike, Eugene, Oregon

It doesn't require "spin" to understand this Clinton "victory". It was out and racism. Nevada, like Utah, is a Mormon state. Mormonism teaches that African's all have "the mark of Cain". Until quite recently, Mormanism wouldn't even allow full black people to have full membership and they couldn't hold any of their priestly offices. There is a residual of racism in Mormanism and here are lots of Mormon offshoots that broke off from mainstream Mormanism when the church leaders decided to allow people of African linage full membership...most of those are in Nevada. So, Clinton's "victory" ought to be worn like a scarlet letter. Same for Romney. Shame on them and shame on the racists that crow about their hollow "victory".

January 20, 2008 12:42 am at 12:42 am |

Jeffim, Miami, Fl

it's pretty weird how abamanites dare to say 'Hillary supporters are so angy'
obama supporters, YOU are why he will never win. you preach HATRED while he's preaching NICE. wow!

January 20, 2008 01:02 am at 1:02 am |

Chris, Orlando FL

Hillary is the queen of MY heart... I LOVE that gal! And she's going all the way to the White House. Go Hillary!

January 20, 2008 01:07 am at 1:07 am |

Gil - California

One thing that has happened in Nevada is that the stunts by Hillary and the teacher's union has erased any sympathy I had for teachers in their fights for pay increases, smaller classrooms and the like. You want to drive a wedge into this party, fine. But you've also driven a wedge between your desires and the people that may have had sympathy for your agenda.

January 20, 2008 01:14 am at 1:14 am |

Jackie

What a tag team the Clintons are. Who is running for president, Hillary or Bill? It is an embarrassing example of american democracy watching the antics of the Clintons. They should be ashamed of themselves for the example they are setting for our youths and shame on you Bill Clinton. You no longer have my support Hillary. Go Obama.

January 20, 2008 01:19 am at 1:19 am |

swede

GO HIllary! Obama has at least three personalities 1. He thinks he's MLK 2. He thinks he's J Kennedy #3..He thinks he's better than all of them. Lots of people have came from poor back rounds but he acts as if he's the only one.

January 20, 2008 01:25 am at 1:25 am |

mike

she is a winner I'm so happy she going to crush the elephant in washinton dc